Holding on to anger and offense separates us from the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit. But by focusing on our own relationship with God and trusting Him to make things right in our human relationships, we can begin to experience peace and joy in our everyday life. (Joyce Meyer)
The more my maturity in Christ deepens, the more cognizant I am of trials & tribulation. Recently, I've heard many messages on the spirit of offense, conversed with loved one's about it and have read a lot of things in the Bible about being offended and learning to love and forgive. When I hear the Lord reiterating things to me, a little red flag begins to go up in my mind. And wouldn't you know it, the spirit of offense creeps in like a thief in the night!!
In this world we live in, we are raised even as Christians to believe that it's okay to be offended and that we can "righteously" take offense to things of the world. Yet, the Scriptures teach us quite differently.
The spirit of offense is a tool of the devil, especially in this time! Matthew 24:10 says “And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.” This implies that being offended will lead to betrayal and then hate. And we all know HATE is a strong word! And quite the opposite of LOVE, which is what we're called to live in as Christians (John 13:35). We essentially get so caught-up in protecting ourself and making sure we are treated the way we think we ought to be treated, that we turn our backs on love, mercy and grace... without even knowing it.
Those living in the spirit of offense fall priosoner to do the devil’s bidding (see 2 Timothy 2:24-26). They are unaware of their captivity and don’t realize their hearts are spewing out bitter waters rather than pure. When people are deceived, they believe they are right even though they aren’t. (Can I get an "Amen?" Boy, have I thought I was right so many times when I wasn't!)
In Psalm 55:12-14 David laments, "For it is not an enemy who reproaches me; then I could bear it. …But it was you, a man my equal, my companion, and my acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked to the house of God in the throng." The truth is, people will hurt us. Even Christian people!! And sometimes those are the wounds that hurt the deepest.
So, how do we deal with that hurt without walking the path of offense? How do we confront people who hurt us in a righteous way?
1. We confront them personally and let them know how they've hurt us. If that doesn't work, we take a friend with us. And yet, if that doesn't work, we seek authority to oversee the settling of matters (Matthew 18:15-17).
-Side Note: I could write an entire dissertation on how WRONG the church gets this nowadays! People are always skipping steps one and two and going to the Pastor. That's not the way Jesus wanted us to handle it, because once you involve others in your matters, it gets more complicated!
Anyway...
2. The reason we confront our offender is to grant them forgiveness. So, what is forgiveness? It's like erasing someone's debt (Matthew 18:23-35). It's releasing the negative emotions we are harbouring toward them so we can be free from the oppression of offense. It's an expression of mercy, just as Christ freely gives us mercy. (Acts 17:11) Do the offenders always deserve it? Probably no more than I deserve to be redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb... but, Jesus died for me and you anyway. And if He could die to forgive, the least I can do is release a brother/sister in the Lord from my offense.
Jesus made it very clear that it is impossible to live in this world and not have the opportunity to become offended (see Luke 17:1). We can choose to hold onto our offenses or we can choose to release them the way Jesus showed us to in Scripture. We can choose to sever relationships, or we can choose to be commited to the Christian walk of faith, hope & love (1 Corinthians 13:13). The answers from the Bible are always rooted in God's great love for us... And love does conquer ALL!
Thank you for freedom from offense, Lord! Thank you for releasing the chains and walls around our hearts and souls to be free to love. And thank you most of all for loving me and showing me Your great mercy & forgiveness.
